Coil cut-out for wigwag signals



' Dec. 18, 1923. 1,477,889

M. S. MORSE vCOIL CUT-OUT FOR WIGWAG SIGNALS Filed Jan. 25. 1923 M/YTOE:

Mam 5. M0255;

BY gwmwf a Patented o. 18, 1923.

UNI-TED s'rA'ras PATENT OFFICE-.

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a coarounox or earn-cam con. cor-om; roe wrowao IIGILLI.

Application fled It!!! I, llrhl Io. HA8.

of railroads for the purpose of warning.

traflic on the highway as to the movement of trains on the railroad,such signals being commonly constructed to include a flag or targetwhich is oscillated from one extreme position to another bymeans ofmagnets.

The principal object of the invention is to rovide means in such asignal for providving a large start-torque so that the signal may bestarted under adverse conditions as to friction or weather, and also toprovide means whereby the operating torque is reduced, after the signalis once started, for the purpose of improving the operation and reducingthe power consum tion.

Referring to the drawing w ich is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic section through one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of one set of magnets andthe armature, and,

Fig. 3 1s a diagram of connectlons.

In the form of signal to which I show my invention applied, 11 is ashaft which is journaled in a case 12 and from which a target 13 issuspended by means of a rod 14 which asses through the bottom of thecase 12. upported: on arms 15 from the shaft 11 is an armature 20.Secured on one side of the case 12 is magnet 21 and secured to the otherside of the case is a magnet 22. The magnet 21 is provided with coils 23and 24 and the magnet 22 is provided wit-h coils 25 and 26. Also carriedin the shaft 11 is a switch blade which makes electrical contact withcontacts 31 and 32, for the purpose of alternately energizing themagnets 21 and 22 and thereby alternately attracting the armature 20 toone side and then the other for the purpose of oscillating the signal.

The parts so far described are at the present time .well known and ingeneral use, the

structure described being merel selected for the purpose ofillustration. in signals of this type which require to be started,sometimes under adverse conditions, it is highly desirable to have alarge starting torque so that the signal will be very re-. liab e. Theamount of energy required to operate this signal once it is startedbeing considerably less, it is desirable to provide for an excessstarting torque to take care of unfavorable starting conditions and tolater reduce the power so that economy of current consumption willresult, the latter being especially important where the signal isoperated' from primary parts as is often the case in the application ofsuch signals to practical railway work.

For the purpose of su lying this large starting torque and reacii yreducing it, I provide a holding magnet 40 having an armature 41,carrying a switch blade 42. The armature 41 is pivoted at 43 andnaturally lies in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the blade 42 in itsupper position in which position it makes contact with a contact 45.Whenever the armature is closed the blade makes contact with a contact46. For the urpose of closing the armature I provi e a flexible fin er47 carried by the moving structure 0 the signal, this finger strikingagainst a projection 48 on the armature 41 when the signal makes a fulloscillation and forcing the armature into its closed sition, in whichposition the blade 42 m as contact with the contact 46. The method ofconnecting the above" ap ratus is as follows:

- he coils 23 and 24 are connected at one end through a wire 50 to thecontact 31. The coils 25 and 26 are similarly connected by the wire 51to the contact 32. The other end of the coils 24 and 25 are connected ina pair directly to .a wire L The other end of the coils 26 and 23 aresimilarly connected in a air and are connected through a wire 54 withthe contact 45. The wires L and"- L lead from the signal to the externalcircuit which is so arrangedthat these wires are energized whenever itis desired to operate the signal. Such external circuit, and the meansfor energizing it being old and Well known in the art need not beillustrated.

The method of operation is as follows:

The parts being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3,

and the wires L1 and L' bein energized, current flows through the switcblade 30 and the wire 50 to the coils 23 and '24 and from these coilsthrough the wire 53 to the wire L thus ener izing the coils 23 and 24and magnetical y energizing the magnet 21. This pulls the armature 2 tothe left from, the osition shown in Fig. 1 which movement disconnectsthe blade from the contact 31 allowing the signal to swin freely andtooscillate. The contacts 30, 3 and 32 are so arranged that the wires and51 are then alternately energlzed as the signal swings. This arrangementbeing old in the art forms no part 0 the present invention and need notbe herein described.

During the initial movement of the signal, the coils 23 and 24 are fullyenergized and the coils 25 and 26 are then energized due to theoperation of the. parts 30, 31 and 32.

During this lnitial movement and during the first few swings of thetarget 13, the amplitude of the oscillation is not sufficlent to causethe finger 47 to strike the projection 48 and the switch blade 42remains in con- I tact with the contact 45, thus allowing the coils 23and 26 to be energized. As soon as the target 13 starts to swingactively so that it approaches its extreme position at either end of itsstroke, the finger 47 strikes upon the projection 48, forcing theprojection 48 upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, and forcingthe armature 41 against the magnetic circuit .40. Simultaneously,contact is broken between 42 and 45 and established between 42 and 48.Breaking of the contact between 42 and 45 disconnects the coils- 26 and23 from the wire L 'and connects the coil between the wires L and thewires L The con necting of the coil 60 enables the magnet 40 to hold theswitch member 42 in its disconnecting position, that is to say,in theposition inwhich the coils 23 and 26 are disconnected. The signalcontinues to operate due to the coils 24 and 25 bein energized until themain circuit through t e wires L and L is broken, at which time thesignal stops .swingin The breaking of the circuit through t e wires Land L, which is accomplished outside the signal, also deenergizes thecoil 60 and allows the armature 41 to fall back into its originalposition as shown in Fig. 1 and the signal is ready to again repeat itsoperation.

It will be seen that during the starting period all of the coils 23, 24,25 and 26 are in service and that after the signal gets into operation,the coils 23 and 26 are cut out and held out by the coil 60. This givestwice the pull on the armature 20 during the starting period than isexerted on it after it gets started. This allows an adequate startingtorque with a low energy consumption for the total operation,

1,4'maae claiin-asmy invention:

1. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate between two extreme positions; magnets so placed as to actuatesaid armature when magnetically excited; a plurality of coils forof: anarmature mounted to oscillate between two extreme positions; magnets soplaced as to actuate said armature when magnetically excited; aplurality, of coils for magnetically exciting said magnets; a switch fordisconnecting a portion of said coilsfrom the electric circuit; and amember carried by said armature and-so placed as to actuate said switchwhenever said armature approaches an extreme position.

3. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate between two extreme positions; magnets so placed as toactuatev said armature when magnetically excited; a plurality of coilsfor magnetically exciting said magnets; a switch for disconnecting aportion of said coils from the electric circuit; a holding magnet soplaced as to hold said switch in a osition to disconnect said .ortion ofsaid coils when said switch has een moved to said disconnectingposition; means for moving said switch from said disconnecting posi;tion whenever the remaining coils are deenergized; and means by whichsaid switch is actuated after said armature starts to oscillate.

4. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate between two extreme positions; magnets so placed as to actuatesaid armature when magnetically excited; a plurality of coils formagnetically exciting said magnets; a switch for disconnecting a portionof said coils from the electric circuit; a holding magnet so placed asto hold said switch in a v 7 position to disconnect said portion of saidcoils when said switch has been moved to said disconnecting position;means for movin g said switch from said disconnecting position wheneverthe remaining coils-are deenergized; and a member carried by saidarmature and so placed as to actuate said switch whenever said armatureapproaches an extreme position.

5. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate be tween two extreme positions; magnets so placed as toactuate said armature when magnetically excited; a plurality of coilsfor ma etically exciting said magnets; a switch or disconnectingaportion of said coils from the electric circuit; a holding after saidarmature starts to oscillate.

' 6. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate between two extreme positions; magnets so placed as to actuateSaid armature when magneticall excited a plurality of coils formagnetically exciting said magnets; a switch for disconnecting a portionof said coils from the electric circuit; a holding magnet so placed asto hold said switch in a position to disconnect said portion of saidcoils when said switch has been moved to said disconnectin osition;means for deenergizing saidfio ding magnet whenever the main circuit tosaid signal is interrupted, said switch being so constructed that itmoves from said disconnecting position whenever said holding magnet isde-energized; and a member carried by said armature and so placed as toactuate said switch whenever said armature approaches an extremeposition.

7. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate between two extreme positions; magnets so placed as to actuatesaid armature when magnetically excited; a plurality of coils formagnetically exciting said magnetspa switch for disconnecting a portionof said coils from the electric circuit; a holding magnet so placed asto hold said switch in a position to disconnect said rtion of said 0011swhen said switch has een moved to said disconnecting position; a contactcarried by said switch adapted to close a cir cuit to said holding coilwhenever said switch is moved to said disconnecting position; and meansfor de-energizing said holding magnet whenever the main circuit to saidsignal is interrupted, said switch being so constructed that it movesfrom said disconnecting position whenever said holding magnet isde-energized; and means by which said switch is actuated after saidarmature starts to oscillate.

8. In a wigwag signal, the combination of: an armature mounted tooscillate between two extreme positions; magnets so placed as to actuatesaid armature when magnetically excited; a plurality of coils formagnetically exciting said magnets; a switch for disconnecting a portionof said coils from the electric circuit; a holding magnet so placed asto hold said switch in a osition to disconnect said ortion of said coilswhen said switch has en moved to said disconnecting position; a contactcarried by said switch adapted to close a circuit to said holding coilwhenever said switch is moved to said disconnecting position and meansfor de-energizing said holding magnet Whenever the main circuit to saidsignal is interrupted, said switch being so constructed that it movesfrom said disconnecting position whenever said holding magnet isde-energized; and a member carried by said armature and so placed as toactuate said switch whenever said armature approaches an extremeposition.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los les California.

- i l S. MORSE.

